Portsmouth assistant manager Joe Jordan has backed calls for the African Cup of Nations to be staged in the summer.

Pompey are set to lose five key players during January and February next year, but Jordan feels this could be avoided.

"I don't know all the arguments behind staging it at that time, but from our point of view a switch to a summer date would suit us," Jordan told BBC Sport.

"It would benefit a lot of clubs with African players and give the players and coaches more time to prepare."

The African Cup of Nations is traditionally staged in the first two months of the year because of the continent's unpredictable weather conditions in the summer months.

The rainy season hits western and central Africa in June and July, while the weather in South Africa, which will be hosting the 2010 World Cup in those two months, is usually cool.

Former Chelsea striker and BBC Sport's Gavin Peacock has little sympathy for those clubs affected by the loss of African players for the 2008 tournament, which will be staged in Ghana from 20 January to 10 February.

"They know when they sign African players every two years a large proportion of them will be missing," Peacock told BBC Sport.

Everybody wants the African Cup of Nations to be scheduled to suit the European calendar

Chelsea manager Avram Grant

"I'm sure if it could have been switched, they'd have done it by now.

"The tournament needs to benefit African football, not European football and if that means it's played in January and February then it needs to be played then."

Despite the loss of those five players, Jordan says Portsmouth are not put off signing African players.

He said: "We're signing players from Africa because of their ability and at the moment that far outweighs the handicap of losing them for a few weeks."

Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari, who is due to play for Ghana in the 2008 tournament, also supported switching the tournament to a summer date.